Conveying means



April'zll, 1953 E. H., HANssoN l 2,635,555

CONVEYING MEANS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 27, 1947 Il Il u., 52

. l b N prlvzl, 1.953 E. H. HANssoN 2,635,555

CONVEYING MEANS Filed May 2 7, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 21, 1953 E.H. HANssoN 2,635,555

' CONVEYING MEANS Filed may 27, 1947 "s sheets-sheet s Patented Apr. 21,-1953 CONVEYING MEANS Elis Harry Hansson, Motala, Sweden Application May27, 1947, Serial No. 750,819

' In Sweden February 25, 1946 7 claims. (c1. 10i-ss) The presentinvention refers to plants for the conveyance of piece-goods or thelike, and the invention may be brought into use in such cases wheregoods of the type in consideration are to be moved from one place toanother by different channels in accordance with the treatment thepieces are to be subjected to or in consideration of the object in view.In particular, the invention maybe applied to conveying means forfoundries, wherein moulds, for example, m-ay be displaced by a conveyingmeans in accordance with the invention, for instance from one or moremoulding stations, through kilns past casting stations, through one ormore cooling tunnels to storing stations. However, the invention is alsoapplicable in means for the conveyance of other goods of widely varyingkinds.

The feature substantially characteristic of the invention is, above all,that the conveying members are guided on a Vclosed track systemcomprising a main track of the closed, loop type, and that branch tracksextend from one or more places of said main track loop, in order againto join the main track loop in other places, in addition to which thevarious tracks comprise driving means for the conveying members, saiddriving means being arranged to impart to these members a speed adaptedto varying demands on differentv stretches of the tracks, said conveyingmembers permitting of being individually coupledto or released from thedriving means with the aid of arrangements operating automatically independence on the distance to the conveying member in front thereof.

As a plurality of conveying members, desighated as carriages in thefollowing for the sake of4 simplicity, shall enable propellingsimultaneously on the various tracks, measures may be taken to preventthe carriages from collision with each other. To this end, the couplingmembers may be constructed so that a carriage will be automaticallycaused to stop at a certain distance from a carriage in front ofthesame. By this means it may also be attained that a carriage which is ona branch track, for example, may be prevented from moving out onto themain track, when a carriage is in a certain position thereon.Furthermore, the coupling means may be so devised that the propelling ofthe following carriage is started automatically, when the carriage infront thereof has left, that is to say, the starting of the followingcarriage is dependent on the movement of the carriage in front thereof.If a stretch of thevtrack comprises a plurality of carriages that havebeen stopped in a row behind one another by said means, they may thus bestarted automatically in due order. The automatic starting may besupplemented by manual starting, for instance by the foremost carriagein a row, and the coupling means may also be so devised that thecarriages may be stopped manually.

Furthermore, the carriages may be provided with control memberscooperating with shifting means for switches at the branch pointsbetween the main track and the branch track for automatic shifting ofthe switches so that the various carriages are directed onto the propertrack.

The invention will be elucidated in the following with reference to afew examples of embodiment-as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.Fig. 1 shows a track diagram for a plant devised according to theinvention. Figs. 2 and 3 are diagrammatic representations in a verticalprojection and a horizontal projection, respectively, of the drivingmeans on a stretch of track in an installation according to theinvention. Fig. 4 shows to a larger scale a vertical central sectionthrough a stretch of track with transport carriages thereon and detailsof the driving means therebeneath, and Fig. 5 shows a correspondingcross section. Fig. 4a is a view in perspective similar to Fig. 4showing more details of the organization of elements by which thecarriages are coupled to and uncoupled from the driving means. Fig. 6shows a portion of a track diagram at a number of branch points with thecorresponding switches indicated diagrammatically therein. Fig. 6a is aplan view illustrating a switch mechanism between a main trackv and abranch track, and Fig. 6b is a part of a corresponding verticalelevation. Figs. 7 and 8 are a vertical elevation and an endwise view,respectively, of a carriage with shifting members for the switch, andFig. 9 shows such a member at a switching point on a larger scale. Figs.10 and 11 are sketches, in principle, to illustrate how the couplingmeans constructed as a carrier responds when a waggon enters from acertain stretch of track onto a stretch of track havinga driving meanswith another speed.

The diagram illustrated in Fig. 1 shows a main loop track or track waywith a number of branch tracks or track ways extending from certainpoints of the main track loop and joining other points of the latter.The main track loop comprises the stretches I, 6, l, f8 and Il), 'andthe branch tracks consist of the stretches 2, 3, Il, 5 and 9. Generally,only certain stretches of the closed track are passed by all conveyingmembers, when the latter are moved by one turn in the installation,certain stretches of the closed track then being devised as branchtracks, which is the case, for instance, with the stretches I and 8. Inthe application of the diagram shown to a foundry, the tracks may beintended for the displacement of moulds between different workingstations, it being then possible to perform moulding and/or insertion ofcores on the stretches |--5, whereas the stretches 6 and 1 may form pureconveying tracks, whereas the stretches 8 and 9 are each per se adaptedto receive carriages with goods of a similar character from the point ofview of casting while extending past casting stations, the stretch IIJextending through a cooling tunnel.

The various demands to be fullled on the different stretches or sectionsof the track ways as a rule require that the carriages move at differentspeeds thereon. This is rendered possible, according to the invention,by driving means adapted for the various stretches of track, suchdriving means having the properly adapted driving speed for thestretches in consideration and being capable of entraining the carriagesper se. In other words, the carriages may be coupled individually to thedriving means and have the corresponding speed imparted thereto by everydriving means.

Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate examples of the construction of the drivingmeans in principle. For every section of track there is at least onedriving means a, b, c each of which takes the form of endless chains IIrunning over rollers I2, I3 and provided with transversely extendingrods I4 which in conjunction with vertically movable rods I6, I1depending from the carriages provide the desired disconnectable couplingbetween the carriages and the endless chains. The rollers at one end ofthe driving means are driven at a speed corresponding to the conveyingspeed on the corresponding track section. The driving means a, b and cmay be arranged for mutually different conveying speeds, for instance 2,3 and 5 meters per minute. Depending on the construction of theconveying members and the track, the driving means may be placed invarious ways. If the conveying members consist of four-wheeled carriageson corresponding rails, the driving means are preferably arrangedunderneath the rails, for instance built in beneath the oor on which therails rest. Fig. 3 indicates a carriage c on rails or tracks I5. Thecarriages are provided at both ends with coupling members or rods I6, I1adapted to cooperate with the rod I4 on the driving means. Provided inthe floor is a slit I8, through which the rods I6, I1 of the carriagemay be moved down into engagement with the driving means.

Fig. 3 also indicates, how the driving means are arranged at aright-angled curve of the track. The driving means c thus extends withone end thereof adjacent the end of the driving means `1:: located atright angles thereto.

Examples of an automatically operating Stopping device for the carriagesare shown in Figs. 4 and 5. In the construction shown, the rods I6, I1of the carriage are each provided with an oblique lower end surface I8,said rod being displaceable in the vertical direction in a sleeve I9 onthe carriage frame 2U. The upper end of the rod I E is mounted on oneend of a bell crank 2|, which is carried by a pin 22 on a bracket 23secured on the end of the carriage frame 20. The other end of the bellcrank 2| is pivotally connected to a rod 24 extending in the longitudi-CII 4 nal direction of the carriage to the rod I1 at the other end ofthe carriage so as to permit of transferring motion to the carriage, sothat the two carrier rods I6, I1 may be raised at the same time. Securedon a transverse shaft 25 mounted in the carriage frame 26 is a dependingabutting rod 26, the lower end of which is adapted to cooperate with theone end of a two-armed releasing lever 21, which is mounted on ahorizontal pin 28 beside the one rail I5 of the track. Secured to thetransverse shaft 25 opposite the rod 2li is an upwardly projecting arm29, which is pivotally connected to the rod 24. The other end of the rod24 is pivotally connected to an arm 30, which is rigidly connected to abell crank 3| intermediate its ends provided in this place. One end ofthe bell crank 3| is united with the vertical carrier rod I1, while theother end of this bell crank is connected through a rod 32 to anabutting device adapted to cooperate with a releasing lever 21 at therail of the track. As at the former end of the carriage, the abuttingdevice here consists of an arm 33 connected to the rod 32, said arm 33being arranged on a shaft 34 mounted in the carriage frame and providedwith a depending abutting rod 35. The bell crank 3| is mounted on abracket 36 similar to the bracket 23 for rocking motion about theconnection of arm 30 therewith.

Releasing levers 21 are arranged along all such track sections where itis desired that a carriage shall permit of being stopped automatically,if another carriage is standing in its way. One end of the lever 21 isprovided with an outwardly directed projection 31 in the path ofmovement of the carriage wheels 38 on one side of the carriages,preferably opposite the path of movement of the guiding flange 39 of thewheel (Fig. 5). The lever 21 is provided at the other end thereof withan inwardly directed projection 4I) in the path of movement of theabutting rods 26, 35. Otherwise, the releasing levers 21 are constructedand arranged in such manner that if the fore end of a lever 21 is keptdepressed by the guiding ange of a wheel, the rear end will be raised soas to be permitted to actuate the abutting rods 26.

The mode of operation of the carrier and stopping device described is asfollows:

If the stretch of track is free, chain engaging rods I6, I1 are lowered,so that either one or both of them are in engagement with a rod I4 onthe endless chains II in the corresponding driving means, said chainsbeing preferably driven continuously. The carriage will thus be advancedat a speed determined by the driving means. Should a carriage bestanding on the stretch of track, for instance the left hand carriage inFig. 4, the rear wheels of which have depressed the fore end of thereleasing lever 21 situated at the extreme left, the abutting rod 26 ofthe carriage in consideration will be brought into engagement with theprojection 40 of the rear end. The abutting rod 26 is then swungrearwardly at the lower end thereof, and turns the bell crank lever 2|,bymeans of the arm 29 on the shaft 25 and over the rod 24, in a mannersuch that the carrier rod I6 is raised out of engagement with thetransversely extending rod I4 of the driving means. At the same time thecarrier rod I1 is raised through the agency of the longitudinallyextending rod 24. The carriage is thus stopped immediately. At the sametime,

l however, one of the rear wheels of the carriage in consideration willhave been brought into engagement with the fore end of the nextfollowing releasing lever v21, the fore end of said lever having thusbeen depressed so as to raise the rear end of the lever. Therefore, if afurther carriage approaches, this carriage is also stopped automaticallyin the manner just described. This situation corresponds to Fig. 4. Theinvention also comprises means by which the carriages may beautomatically switched onto definite tracks by an impulse or by directactuation of indexing members located on the' carriages themselves.Examples of this are illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 6, which showsbranches from a main track to a number of branch tracks l, 2, 3, furtherbranch tracks la, lb, |c extending in turn from the branch track Thedriving Vdirections are indicated byarrows. Carriages '01, v2, U3 areindicated on. the main track, said carriages being intended to beswitched onto the various branch tracks 2,i 3 The indexing members havediierent positions on carriages for the different tracks, the switchesof which are provided with shifting members, which for every branchtrack respond only to the index position of the carriages pertaining tothe branch track in consideration. In the example of embodiment shown inFigs. 6-9, the indexing member comprises a roller 59 at the lower end ofa holder 5|, which is removably arranged on a transverse girder 52 atthe end of the carriage. Provided in the transverse girder beside oneanother are seats or apertures i1, i2, i3 corresponding in number to thebranch tracks 2, 3 and the indexing member is placed into the aperturecorresponding to the branch track to which the carriage belongs. Oncarriage v1, the indexing member is placed to the extreme left in Fig. 6(viewed in the driving direction), that is to say at i1, and on carriage'v4 to the extreme right, whereas the carriages v2 and v3 have theirindexing members in intermediate positions. Provided at each branchpoint is a switch with a shifting device corresponding to the positionof the indexing member, for instance in the form of a, wedge 531, 532,533 (Fig. 6), which is in the path of movement of the correspondingindexing roller. Behind the switch there may be provided a restoringdevice 541, 542, 543 which is also in the path of movement of thecorresponding indexing roller and is adapted to restore theswitch intothe initial position upon the passing of the carriage.

An embodiment of a switch between the main track formed by rails 14, 14and a branch track together with shifting and restoring means for saidswitch is illustrated in Figs. 6a, and 6b. The shifting wedge 53 issecured to one end of a double-armed lever 10 pivoted at 1| and havingits other end connected to a switch rail member 13 by a link 12. Railmember 13 is pivoted at 13 to allow shifting thereof from the full lineposition to the dotted line position and vice versa. Connected to rail13 by a further link 15 is one end of a vertical double-armed lever 16pivoted at 11 and having its other end connected with' a rod 18extending horizontally below the switch. One end of rod 18 is connectedwith the lower arm of a lever having a weight 19 secured to its top endand being journalled on a horizontal pin 80 so as to be able to tilt ina vertical plane from one position at one side of a vertical planethrough the axis of pin 80 as indicated in full lines in Fig. 6b toanother position at the opposite side ofthe latter vertical plane asindicated in! dotted lines. The other end of rod 18 is connected by anangular lever 8| pivoted' at 82 and a link83 to one end of adouble-armed lever 84 pivoted at 85 and carrying the restoring wedge 54at its other end.

Articulated to rod 18 is further a double-armed lever 86 pivoted at 81and having its opposite end connected by a link 88 to a double-armedlever 89 pivoted to a vertical pin or bolt 90. Journalled on pin 90 isalso one end of a switch member 9|forming part of the rail 14 of themain track. Lever 89 is connected with switch member 9| so as to be ableto turn said member from the illustrated position on a line with therail 14' to a position indicated in dotted lines in which the chainengaging rods I3, |1 of the carriage are permitted to pass through theopening established in rail 14. Located in the extension of the curvedswitch member 13 is a rail member above the slot I8 for the rods I6, |1in the middle of the main track, said member being pivoted at 96 andconnected to one end of a double-armed lever 92 by a, link 94. The otherend of lever 92 is articulated to the rail member 13 and lever 92 has aslot 92 engaged by a xed pivot pin 93. Support members 91 and 98 areprovided for the rail switch members 9| and 95 respectively, the railswitch members engaging said support members in their track closingposition, i. e. when the rail members are located on a line with thecorresponding rail. In rail crossing points such as that indicated at 99a plate |00 is provided to carry the rim of the carriage wheels passingthereover. A support plate |0| is also provided in the gap |82 at thebranch point |93 to carry the rim of the wheel passing along thestraight rail 14. At the same time the opposite wheel of the carriage isguided by the free end of the rail member 13 so that the carriage doesnot escape from its path.

In operation when a carriage passes the switch, the index roller thereonresponsive to the position of the wedge 53 engages said wedge to swinglever 10 in a clockwise direction in Fig. 6a and turn switch rail member13, which is spaced from the main rail 14, to engage the latter asindicated by dotted lines. At the same time rod 18 is moved by link 15and lever 16 in the opposite direction to turn angular lever 8| in aclockwise direction and push link 83 to move lever 84 and wedge 54 tothe position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 6a. Weight 19 issimultaneously tilted to the dotted position and keeps the switchpositively in the shifted position. When turning to engage rail 14switch member 13 also displaces and turns lever 92 relatively to itspivot pin 93 whereby rail member 95 is turned from its full lineposition to close the rail in the prolongation of the curved rail member13. Lever 86 is turned by rod 18 about its pivot 81 in a clockwisedirection which results in turning .of rail' member 9| on pivot 98 fromits full line position to the open position indicated in dotted lines sothat the carrier members of the carriage are allowed to pass. Thecarriage will now be guided by rail member 13 onto the branch track andits index roller will engage the oblique surface of wedge 54. As aresult lever 84 is returned to the position indicated in full lines andthe switch is restored to its original position indicated also in fulllines. Simultaneously rail member 9| is restored to its closed positionand rail member 95 to its open position due to their connection with rod18 and switch member 13 respectively.

' For 'switching onto thevarious branch ltracks I, 2, 3, '4, theposition of the indexing member ink the horizontal direction has thusbeen utilized. Differences between the positions of the indexing memberin the vertical direction may also be utilized for the same purpose,which is also the case with a combination of both facilities. In theexample shown, this is conceived as applied to the branch track I, fromwhich extend three branch tracks Ia., Ib, Ic. For every index devicethere is then, in addition to the roller 50 at the lowermost point ofthe holder I, an upper roller adapted to cooperate with one of theshifting members 56a, 56h, 56e at the switches for the branch tracks Ia,Ib, Ic. Carriages which are to enter the branch track la have the upperroller located in the vertical position 55a (indicated by dashed linesin Fig. 9), whereas carriages for the branch track Ib have this rollerin the vertical position 55b and carriages for this branch tracklc havethe roller at the level 55o. The switches for the branch tracks alsohave restoring devices 51 provided therefor. Obviously, it is possiblefor all carriages to use indexing devices of the same construction butwith the rollers adjustable in the vertical direction. Inasmuch as thereis a roller '50 in all carriages for the branch track I, all of thesecarriages may actuate the switch shifting member 531, but after theyhave moved past this switch, they are distributed over the variousbranch tracks in accordance with the level of the roller 55.

A carriage cannot shift the switches for a branch track other than thatfor which its index device is adjusted, inasmuch as the shifting wedges54, 56 of the switches are outside the path of movement of the indexdevice in question of all other carriages. A carriage with an indexdevice in the horizontal position i2 will thus pass the switch with theshifting wedge 531, without actuating the latter, and continues furtheron the main track, until it reaches the switch with the shifting wedge532, the roller 50 on the index device provided at i2 then strikingvagainst this wedge to shift the switch, so that the carriage is guidedonto the branch track 2. The switching is thus entirely automatic, andlikewise the switch is restored automatically by means of the restoringdevice 51, as soon as the carriage that shifted the switch has passedthe latter.

|The stopping device described hereinbefore is intended to be soconstructed so that a following carriage remains at a standstill infront of the shifting wedge of a switch, until a preceding carriage,which is about to move past the switch, has come entirely past thelatter. Only after the switch has been restored to a straight track willthe following carriage be permitted to pass. If vthe following carriageis intended for the same stretch of track as the preceding one, it willshift the switch anew, but otherwise it moves past the switch withoutactuating the same.

Figs. l0 and 11 show how the chain engaging rods I6, I1k of a carriagerespond when the carriage passes over from one stretch with a certainspeed to another stretch having another speed. According to Fig. 10, thedriving means a for that stretch of track from which the carriage comeshas a greater speed than the driving means b for that stretch of trackonto which the carriage is to pass over, whereas according to Fig. 11the former driving means has a lower speed than the latter. With theconditions prevailing in Fig. 10, the rear chain engaging rod lII is indriving engagement with the driving means a, while the front chainengaging rod I6 may, owing to the oblique end surface I8, slide past thetransverse rods I4 propelled at a lower speed in the driving means.

In order here to render possible the necessary movement of the chainengaging rods in the vertical direction independently of each other, theconnection between the upper end of the rod and the bell crank lever(2|, 3|) may consist of a vertical slit 62 in the rod and a pin 6Isecured on the bell crank 2| and adapted to slide along the rod.

In the example shown in Fig. 1l, the carriage is entrained by thedriving means b having the greatest speed, whereas the rod I'I will,owing to the oblique surface I8, slide past the transverse rods I4 ofthe driving means a, which are moving at a slower rate.

A number of needs may be covered by conveying plants of the typedescribed. For example, conveying members may be stored or accumulatedon a predetermined vpart of track, or may be advanced at a very slowrate relatively to the previous speed, or may be advanced in steps asindividual carriages, or in groups comprising a predetermined number ofcarriages. These desiderata may be satisfied either by a manual serviceor by a timed service.

The conveying members may, the same as the tracks, be devised in manydifferent ways within the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

i. In a conveyor plant, a main trackway of the loop type, branchtrackways extending from selected switching out points on said maintrackway to other selected switching in points thereon, conveyingcarriages adapted to run on said trackways, driving means eiectiverespectively over different sections of said trackways adapted to drivesaid carriages at different speeds, means mounted upon each saidcarriage normally coupling the latter to the driving means of thetrackway section on which the carriage is then located, and trip levermeans in the pathway of said carriage conditioned upon stoppage of a rstcarriage for releasing the coupling means on a second carriage nextbehind when the latter overtakes said rst, stopped carriage.

2. A conveyor plant as deiined in claim 1 wherein said trackways includea plurality of said trip lever means mounted therealong in spacedrelation and adapted-to cooperate with the coupling release means onconsecutive carriages on the trackways.

3. For use in a conveyor plant including a main looped trackway, branchtrackways extending from selected switching points on said main trackwayto other points thereof, conveying wheeled rcarriages running on saidtrackways, and driving means at said trackways Vfor imparting motion ofvarious speed to the carriages, coupling means to connect and disconnectthe carriages in lrelation to the driving means, said coupling meanscomprising a lever system and vertically movable coupling rodscontrolled thereby on each carriage, said rods being movable downwardlyto effect engagement with said driving means and upwardly to disengagethe same from said driving means and double-armed levers pivoted at thetrackways in spaced relation to one another, one arm of each lever beingformed for engagement by the wheels of the carriages and the other armto engage the lever system of one carriage after actuation on the firstarm by a carriage positioned in front thereof to raise the coupling rodof the former carriage for the disengagement of said coupling rod withrelation to the driving means.

4. In a conveyor plant, a main trackway, of the loop type, branchtrackways extending from selected switching out points on said maintrackway to other selected switching in points thereon, conveyingcarriages adapted to run on said trackways, driving means effectiverespectively over different sections of said trackways adapted to drivesaid carriages at different speeds over the diiierent sections, a trackswitch at each of said switching points for said branch trackways, eachsaid switch including shifting means therefor before the branch pointand restoring means therefor after the branch point, control meansmounted upon said carriages for actuating the said shifting andrestoring means of each switch, the said control means of dierentcarriages and the said switch shifting and restoring means of differentswitches being mutually but differently indexed such that differentcarriages are automatically switched from said main trackway todifferent branch trackways, means mounted upon each said carriagenormally coupling the latter to the driving means of the trackwaysection on which the carriage is then located, and coupling releasemeans conditioned upon stoppage of a first carriage for releasing thecoupling means on a second carriage next behind when the latterovertakes said rst stopped carriage.

5. A conveyor plant as defined in claim 4 wherein the switch actuatingcontrol means mounted upon each carriage is comprised of a rolleradjustable to different index positions transversely of the carriage.

6. A conveyor plant as defined in claim 5 wherein each roller isadjustable to different heights for each transverse index position.

7. In conveyor apparatus, a trackway system comprising a main trackway,branch trackways extending from selected switching points thereon;carriages adapted to be run along said trackways, a track switch at eachof said switching points, each said switch including a shifting leverbefore the branch point and a restoring lever after the branch point,control means comprising a roller mounted upon said carriage forengaging and actuating said shifting and restoring levers, and means foradjusting said roller to different index positions to accord withdiiierent index positions of said shifting and restoring levers 'therebyadapting different ones of said carriages to select different ones ofsaid switches for switching purposes.

ELIS HARRY HANSSON.

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